Sidemount used to be a niche technical setup, now it's one of the most sought-after skills in diving, prized for its streamlined profile and ability to slip through spaces a back-mounted rig never could. Over two days you'll rebuild your rig setup, trim, buoyancy and gas management from the ground up, with the skills carrying straight into Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50, a smart foundation for anyone serious about pushing into technical diving.

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In detail

About This Course

Sidemount diving, where tanks are mounted at the diver's hips rather than on the back, has grown from a niche technical configuration into one of the most popular ways to dive - valued for its streamlined profile, ease of tank management, and flexibility in tight or awkward spaces. The Tec Sidemount Diver course teaches the configuration and in-water skills needed to dive safely and confidently in this style, covering rig setup, trim, buoyancy control, and gas management specific to sidemount.

Run over two days, the course is aimed at divers who already have a solid grounding in the sport: candidates need to hold PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification, be at least 18 years old, and have logged a minimum of 30 dives, with PADI Enriched Air Diver certification recommended as useful preparation. Training takes place in both confined and open water, building the muscle memory and problem-solving skills that make sidemount diving second nature rather than something to think through under stress.

What makes this course particularly valuable is that the skills learned apply well beyond sidemount diving itself. The configuration and gas-management principles carry directly into other PADI TecRec courses, making this a genuinely useful foundation for divers with technical diving ambitions.

Once qualified, Tec Sidemount opens the door to further technical training, including Tec 40, Tec 45, and Tec 50, each extending depth range and decompression capability. For divers ready to take a serious step into technical diving, this course is a practical and popular place to begin.

The process

How The Course Works

Step 1
Sidemount Configuration & Theory
You learn to rig, balance and streamline a sidemount set-up, mounting cylinders low along your body instead of on your back. It's as much a shift in mindset as in equipment, and your instructor walks you through the gas management and trim theory before you ever get wet.
PADI notes sidemount's easy cylinder donning and removal and its low, streamlined profile as its core advantages.
Step 2
Technical Sidemount Dives
Out in open water you put the configuration through its paces, donning, removing and managing your cylinders while holding your trim and buoyancy exactly where they need to be. It's the same skill technical divers rely on to fit through tight cave and wreck passages a back-mounted rig could never reach.
PADI states: you need a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification, to be at least 18, and to have logged a minimum of 30 dives to enrol.

Course curriculum

What You'll Learn

Learning Outcomes

apply sidemount skills to other TecRec courses
technical sidemount equipment configuration and diving techniques

Getting ready

Before You Start & What's Next

Prerequisites

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
at least 18 years old
minimum 30 logged dives
PADI Enriched Air Diver recommended

Next Steps

Tec 40
Tec 45
Tec 50

Upcoming training

Dates & Booking

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Quick facts

Duration

2 days of structured training

Location

Unit 4, Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HD

Certification

Recognised PADI qualification on completion

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Tec Sidemount

What to expect